Can Heaven's Will Tolerate a Heart Bent on Evil?

The light shot straight into the sky, naturally attracting the attention of the people in the city, and a sense of astonishment arose in their hearts.

This convergence of emotions even merged with the ripples in the Void, amplifying the power and creating a powerful interplay that seeped into the hearts of the observers, leaving a deep imprint.

Most people are simply amazed by the unusual phenomenon, but few can understand its underlying meaning.

However, that was enough. For them, this novel experience alone was enough to be a topic of conversation for a lifetime. This was a moment they witnessed history.

Because of the exams, many families had already gotten up, and even the street vendors were looking up at the sky with surprise.

As the light climbed higher into the sky, it wasn't long before people outside the city could see it.

Just then, the red sun was rising in the east, and the beam of light was like a thin, twisted rope, going all the way upwards to stand beside the red sun.

Outside Xingjing Imperial City, in the farmland, farmers were already everywhere.

Scholars might arrive a day early and wait all night to see the results, but this was only occasional and not a daily occurrence. For farmers, however, working from dawn till dusk was the norm.

In this way, they were all able to see the light.

This inevitably sparked a series of discussions, with some quickly believing it to be a divine intervention, leading to further chaos.

Among them, an old farmer's expression changed, and he quickly retreated to the shadows of a tree. The ripples in the Void spread, and a strange scene immediately appeared behind the old farmer—

As trees grow, their branches and leaves gather the People's Wishes!

The ripples swept by without stopping, continuing to spread in all directions, with some of them reaching a manor.

In the garden, someone was practicing boxing; it was none other than Qiao Qing and Di Ai, who had participated in the imperial Metropolitan Examination. Er'er also noticed the light in the city and stopped, turning to look into the distance, puzzled.

Today the results were announced, but the two did not go to the city to wait for them like ordinary candidates. However, this was only on the surface. It could be seen from the fact that they started practicing boxing in the garden as soon as they got up that they still cared about the results.

In fact, the two were waiting for news from the servants in the city. Now, when they suddenly saw the light, they determined its approximate location and knew that it came from near the Examination Hall, so they were naturally concerned.

At this moment, a ripple in the Void arrived, transforming into a gentle breeze that swept past the two, ruffling their hair, and then seeped into the attic deep within the manor, penetrating every nook and cranny.

Click! Click! Click!

Beneath this seemingly simple attic lies a complex network of steel, levers, and gears, their rotation producing sounds and sending ripples through the air. The next moment, in the deepest, most secret chamber, a refined man dressed in Ink Garb looks up.

Before him lay a fine iron platform with several iron hammers on it. The hammers were rising and falling on their own, striking the platform with their heads. Fire Star flew, and a strange mask could be vaguely seen.

Ripples swept across from above, passed through the soil, and returned to the ground.

One of them traveled along the way, passing by the Void Academy. Void Master, who was sitting in the house, was enjoying tea. But his movements suddenly stopped, and the air behind him swirled, creating a Void. The ripples then passed through the Void and continued forward, only to be grabbed by someone in a village further away.

The man was an elderly doctor dressed as a physician. He stared wide-eyed at the ripples on his hand and muttered to himself, "Popular sentiment, Literary Thought, military prowess, and official conduct—these can be used as medicine..."

As soon as he finished speaking, his withered old hand clenched slightly, producing a crisp "snap" sound. A pill fell to the ground and was caught by the medicine bag. Then the old man looked towards the distant horizon and could vaguely see the outline of Prosperity Capital.

At the same time, numerous ripples spread around Xingjing Imperial City. Some passed by the military camp outside the city, causing the red-robed general sitting there to glare, his Sha Qi swaying, creating an illusory scene of golden spears and iron horses behind him.

Ripples swept across the temple by the forest, and golden light flashed behind the heads of the three monks inside the hall.

On the other side, in a side room of the temple, an old man with a tall hat and wide belt put down his book and looked out the window. At this moment, the many things around him seemed to come alive and tell all sorts of truths.

Amidst the ripples, a dark undercurrent surged in Prosperity Capital.

That ray of light might have been just a spectacle to most people, but to some, it was an unexpected event, representing an unpredictable change!

"That is..."

At the Tian Residence, Tian Youqing, prompted by a servant, arrived in the courtyard. Looking at the beam of light shooting into the sky, an ominous feeling welled up within him.

But before he could ask, the answer had already arrived—

Da da da!

Hurried footsteps approached, and two men dressed as guards rushed over, disregarding etiquette. They approached Tian Youqing, clasped their hands in greeting, and said, "Reporting to Master, we have just received news that Qiu Yan has been personally selected as the top candidate by His Majesty!"

"What? Qiu Yan has been personally selected as the top candidate by the Emperor?"

Upon hearing this news, Tian Youqing was initially startled, realizing that his plan was about to face obstacles. However, Spiritual Light sudden thought struck him, and he asked, "When did this happen? Did the Emperor skip the examiners and promote Qiu Yan directly?" He suddenly realized that there seemed to be more room for maneuver in this situation.

Unexpectedly, the guard replied, "I heard that Prime Minister Wang initially designated Qiu Yan as the top candidate, but the examiners were not satisfied and had some complaints. Just then, Eunuch Wei arrived with the Emperor's decree, which secured Qiu Yan's ranking." His words were few, but they revealed a great deal of information, as if he had seen it firsthand, showing that his information channels were very comprehensive.

"Oh? So, it seems that Wang Gong only placed Qiu Yan first due to pressure from the Old Party. After all, Qiu Yan is Ma Yang's disciple. However, Metropolitan Examination that someone Literary Staining of Examination Papers this time..."

Upon hearing this, Tian Youqing was suddenly startled and abruptly looked up at the beam of light in the sky, instinctively uttering a few words: "Literary Staining of Examination Papers, top scorer, Qiu Yan... an anomaly!"

Suddenly, beads of sweat appeared on his forehead, and he could no longer maintain his refined demeanor. He took two steps forward hastily and asked, "Is the person who Literary Staining of Examination Papers the top scorer? Could it be Qiu Yan Literary Staining of Examination Papers?"

The guard was unaware of this, nor did he understand why his master had suddenly lost his composure.

Unable to get any results from her questions, Tian Youqing grew even more anxious, only able to console herself. "No way, what are the chances of such a coincidence? What about Qiu Yan..."

However, just as the thought crossed his mind, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Tian Youqing looked in the direction of the sound and saw a middle-aged scholar with an anxious expression.

The man was thin, with a small mustache, and looked shrewd, but he was walking hurriedly and his face was covered in sweat.

This man, named Tian Qi, was Tian Youqing's steward and also served as his advisor.

"Tian Qi, what's wrong? What news did you receive?" Seeing his advisor's expression, Tian Youqing's heart skipped a beat, realizing something, and he asked hurriedly.

"My lord, things have changed. We must stop spreading rumors immediately, or the consequences will be dire! That Qiu Yan... he has now won the Metropolitan Laureate in the Literary Staining of Examination Papers, and he has received the Emperor's verbal support, which has caused even more strange phenomena!" As soon as Tian Qi arrived, he uttered a string of words, almost unable to catch his breath!

"What did you say?" Tian Youqing swayed, then looked up at the light in the sky again. "Is it really an anomaly? Qiu Yan Literary Staining of Examination Papers, causing the anomaly? But why is it happening now? If there was an anomaly, why didn't he show it earlier?" A trace of grief and indignation appeared on his face.

Tian Qi swallowed hard, his face flushed, and muttered to himself, "We can think about these things later. The most urgent thing is to stop the rumors and the plan. Qiu Yan is now using the strange phenomenon to build up his power; this is a recognition from heaven. If we continue to slander him for cheating, aren't we just asking for trouble? Do we think we can defeat heaven?"

"Yes! Yes!" Tian Youqing panicked upon hearing the news. Now, after hearing the warning, he knew the gravity of the situation and quickly said, "Go and inform Lai San and Yu Fang to stop them!"

The strange phenomena arising from the Literary Staining of Examination Papers cannot be concealed by mere scheming and trickery. In this world, Divine Ability are evident and spirits exist. Even a high-ranking official like Tian Youqing is filled with fear and dares not act rashly.

Furthermore, Qiu Yan 'Literary Staining of Examination Papers caused a change in the celestial phenomena, which is tantamount to a response from Heaven. How could someone who cheats do such a thing? Under these circumstances, to frame or slander him would be tantamount to courting death. If it is discovered later, it would cause quite a stir in order to appease Heaven and Earth.

Not long after the conversation, the people of the Tian Residence sprang into action. Some of the martial arts masters they had recruited moved swiftly to deliver the message and orders.

The streets surrounding the Imperial Academy suddenly erupted in excitement.

The unusual celestial phenomenon had already stirred the hearts of many candidates waiting for the results, who believed that today was the day the Metropolitan Examination announced and the appearance of the phenomenon indicated that the imperial examination was extraordinary, so they were all eager to take the test.

"It's here! It's here! The rankings are here!"

Suddenly, the crowd erupted into chaos. Someone shouted loudly, drawing everyone's attention and making it impossible for them to remain calm.

"Get out of the way!"

Several officials, escorted by soldiers, walked over, each carrying several sheets of yellow paper.

List!

A sudden silence fell over the scene; you could hear a pin drop! It was as if everyone had held their breath, no longer paying attention to the strange phenomenon in the sky, but focusing all their attention on the lists!

Emotions, thoughts, and People's Wishes surged up at this moment, rich and profound, and were expressed on a few sheets of paper.

The silence was immediately broken when the yellow paper was pasted on the wall, and a cacophony of voices erupted as countless people, including the elderly and children, pushed forward!

Boom!

Many people in the crowd were so shocked by the loud noise that their eardrums vibrated and they felt dizzy, but they endured it and focused on pushing forward to see what was happening.

Soon, cries and sighs could be heard. Of the thousands who took the exam, only a mere three hundred or so passed. Many who failed cried and made a scene when they saw their names were not on the list.

Sadness and grief spread among the people, People's Wishes, emotions, and thoughts gradually shifted.

Just then, some people in the crowd exchanged knowing glances, then separated and began to shout—

"We refuse to accept this! We refuse to accept this! Some people cheated and still passed the exam with flying Golden List, while we studied diligently and yet failed!"

ps:

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